Sunday, August 22, 2010

Welcome to ...(wait for it) Jurassic ParQ

Jurassic ParQ, is a goofy ass, fun and entertaining Fringe musical. It never takes itself too seriously, as witnessed by this write up in the Fringe Guide.

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Jurassic Parq: The Broadway Musical

Writer: Emma Barash, Marshall Pailet, Bryce Norbitz and Steve Wargo

Director: Marshall Pailet

Choreographer: Hayley Podschun

Boldly re-imagined and retold from the perspective of the dinosaurs, Jurassic Parq is an unflinching meditation on gender, sexual, and racial identity in an evolving landscape destined to stun you with its importance. And you should probably see it drunk..Jurassic ParQ (the Q is for Questions) is introduced and narrated by Morgan Freeman (the character, not the man) and features a menagerie of dinosaurs expounded on the meaning of life, in song.

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Which is not to say that it doesn’t follow perfectly acceptable Broadway conventions; to wit, a second song by the ingénue reflecting on her dreams – in this case a Velociraptor played by John Jeffery Martin. There is a outcast who’s warnings are ignored until it is too late, the Velociraptor of Science played by Mary Ellen Ashley. And, of course, the innocent child that has to grow up too soon, in this case a T-Rex of mutating gender played by Natalie Bradshaw..The entire cast brings a subversive glee to the proceedings, but the three actors mentioned above, along with Lee Seymour (as Morgan Freeman) and Brandon Espinoza (as the Mime-a-saurus) stand out in the manic proceedings..Clocking in at a brisk 70 minutes, Jurassic ParQ barely slows down and so the audience never has time to stop laughing. Director Marshall Pailet does a great job of keeping the pace of the show up, important in a piece as light as this..One complaint, the song “I am a Dine-O-Saur” is stuck in my head like “It’s a Small World” after a day at Disneyland.---------------------------------------------Jurassic Parq: The Broadway MusicalCast: Mary Ellen Ashley, Natalie Bradshaw, Denise Dumper, Brandon Espinoza, Jay Frisby, Brandon Gill, Olli Haaskivi, Emily Jenda, John Jeffery Martin, Cara Massey, Tara Novie, Lee SeymourDirector: Marshall PailetFringe NYC: The Ellen Stewart Theater*Remaining Shows: 8/25 – 7:45 , 8/27 – 4:00*Rating: Well Worth the Money*What works: Come on, it’s a show with singing dinosaurs*What doesn't work: Well, if you can’t laugh at singing dinosaurs you aren’t trying*What you get to brag about to your friends:You saw a gender bending, show about singing dinosaurs before it’s big Broadway premi…. Never mind. How about this? You will know all the words to “I’m a dinosaur” by the time you leave!---------------------------------------------